Rosaline Marie
by OctoberSky13
Summary: The Mother of Strigoi. Her heiress, Rosaline Marie, who was born Rosemarie Hathaway. The Three Restless, and their undying bond to her. Will the appearance of Rilion, one of the Restless, make a difference in Rose's trial?
1. Chapter 1

Today was the day of the trial. Either I would be free, or I would be dead. God only knew what the outcome would be. I could see Dimitri in the back of the church, looking concerned. Lissa was next to him. Adrian was sitting closer to the front, looking depressed and drunk. Abe was sitting at one of the make-shift tables, and I was next to him. My mother's Moroi wasn't here, so neither was she. I almost wished she was, but I was also glad she wouldn't have to see me killed.

Why it was happening in the church was beyond me. Something to do with it being safer than the actual courthouse. I thought it was a bunch of bull.

The spirits were acting up more than usual today. Even in the protection of the wards, I could feel them shifting about. It was starting to annoy me. I mean, I'm not _usually_ happy to have the dead wandering around in front of my eyes, and not fin front of anyone else, and having people look at me like I'm crazy just because I moved out of the way of the little not-quite-dead girl who came hurtling at me, but then again, I'm not too sure anyone else would be quite okay with that either. But I've been coping. With the wards at Court and my own mental protection, I'm usually fine with them, and they don't bother me much.

Usually. It's a little different when you wake up to see an unfamiliar, burning, practically naked man in your supposedly 'secure' cell room, screaming about how the end is near and you'll soon be getting what you deserve for all that you've done and the others would only have to wait a matter of time before they saw what you really are. When that happens, it's a little different.

So, needless to say, I was a little bit on the edgy side of things today, and my lack of sleep wasn't really helping, especially as I saw Adrian's dad walk in. Prince Ivashkov had never liked the thought of us dating. I assumed he would find me guilty, no matter what. It was a convenient way to break us up.

With the twelve families seated – oops, I mean with the _eleven_ old geezers there who happened to leave _Lissa Dragomir, the Princess of the Dragomir family_ out of it were seated – they called it all to order, and the trial began. I could hardly breathe.

They started by calling me up, to hear my story again and to question me. I could only comply. Resistance was futile, and would only make me look even guiltier than they already thought I was.

"So, Miss Hathaway, could you please tell us again how you hated Queen Tatiana, and continued on to murder her?"

"I disliked the queen, but I never claimed to hate her." Out loud. "And I didn't kill her. I promise." That got some laughter from the onlookers, and from that snotty lawyer lady.

_"Promise?_ Our leader is dead, and you can only _promise_ that you didn't do it? What good is your word, when you're on trial? And, even if you weren't, why would I believe someone with your record?"

Ouch. Yeah, my history was splotched with a lot of bad things I had done. None coming close to murder, of course, but still. She had a point. I opened my mouth to say something, but at that particular moment, the spirits decided to act up. Basically, I got a killer migraine that seemed to last _forever_. When I finally came to, I was looking up, into Abe's eyes.

"Rose," he whispered, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I pushed him away as I stood up. "What happened?"

"You collapsed. It looked like you were mad, and about to say something incredibly stupid, and then you just gave this awful noise and fell over. Are you sure you aren't hurt?"

"Not any more than any other Shadow-kissed." Now, _that_ turned some heads.

"Shadow-kissed?" the lawyer asked. "What right have you to the title of Ana?"

"Every. I've been dead, and come back. It's a long story. It's how Ana and Saint Vladmir became bonded."

"Then, who are you bound to?"

"Me." Lissa's voice carried over the deafening silence of the crowd, drawing them to look at her. "I am Spirit-blessed, and healed her after she died in the crash that killed my family. I've healed animals in similar ways before, too. I healed Dimitri in a similar way, when I stabbed him with a Spirit-charmed stake. Rose is my Shadow-kissed."

They all just stared. Her burns from that night were still healing, and could be seen by all. Dimitri sitting next to her and looking stoic and handsome as ever just remained silent, aware of the eyes on him, and meeting as many as he could. Finally, those eyes turned back to me.

"Are there any others?" Apparently, gossip could outdo an actual trial, if it was juicy enough. I thought carefully before I answered Ms. Snot's question.

"The only other Shadow-kissed I have met were either outcasts who lived on the edge of society or both bonded to one person. The outcast was nice enough, but lives in a different country, on a different continent. The other two now live in a crazy ward."

"And, what do spasms like that one have to do with this?"

"It's a long story. One the Mother could explain more than me."

"Whose mother?"

"She's someone you meet when you die. She isn't a spirit, per se, but she isn't exactly alive either. She's from a race that came even before Moroi and Strigoi. She's the one who started it all. I don't remember much more than that, but I do know she's dangerous."

"Could you bring her here?"

Did this idiot not here me? "She's dangerous," I repeated. She just looked at me. I could feel all their eyes on me. "She wouldn't come if I called, but another might." I couldn't believe what I was saying. I couldn't remember anything about being dead just three minutes ago, and now I was spilling all this knowledge as it came back to me, with no censorship. But, hey, it was worth a shot. "I'll need a knife."

She looked at me. I knew what she was thinking. I was on trial for murder, making weird stories up, and asking for a knife so that I could fight my way out. But, the thing is, I couldn't get out even if I wanted to. If I even made a move out of place, at least twenty guardians would be on me in under ten seconds. So, where was the harm in humoring me? Prince Ivashkov seemed to agree with me. Either that, or he thought it would be good fun to see me humiliate myself, which was probably all I would end up doing.

"I don't personally see the harm in it," he boomed. "Might as well give it to her, just to see what happens." So, a knife was brought to me; offered up by one of the guardians nearby.

Before they could react, and before I could think, I dragged it across my wrist and screeched, "I, Rosaline Hathaway Marie Mazur, do so summon thee, Rilion Greyson Donatello of None! Show yourself to me, that I may be pleased and be freed from this torment!"

Nothing happened. They all stared at me.

"Please," I whispered, falling to my knees. "Please, Show yourself, that I may love you again."

"You couldn't wait another three seconds? What, think it was gonna be instant?"


	2. Chapter 2

I looked up at him. Damn, I had forgotten how nice the underworld could be.

He was about as tall as Dimitri. He had green eyes, which were (if possible) even prettier, darker, and sexier than Adrian's. He had skin that was neither pale nor tan, and could have been either, at some point in time. He had black hair, like the night sky when all the lights are off in the countryside, but there still aren't any stars out. He was… beautiful. And, the clean-shaven jaw, nice suit, and silver chain necklace didn't hurt, either.

Okay, so you couldn't see the necklace, but I knew it was there. I had been the one to give it to him, after all.

"Rosaline?" he inquired, lifting one eyebrow in a quizzical look. That's right. He was so hot, he didn't ask, he _inquired._ He didn't look curious, he was _quizzical._ He got even people like me to say things like that. Yeah, that hot.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I got up to my feet, intentionally ignoring the hand he had offered me. "And yeah, I thought it would be instant. So, are you ready to save my ass again today?"

I didn't like the smile he gave me. It was too sad. He glanced to the side, in the direction that the jury was in. I followed his gaze, to find each and every one of them dumbstruck and looking at me like I had grown a second head. It pissed me off, just a little.

"What?" I snarled. So, I shouldn't snarl at jurors, but that crossed my mind a little too late. Oops. "Don't believe that I was right, for once in my life?"

"Rosaline, they can't see me."

"What?" I screeched, turning back to him. "That's impossible! Why not?"

"I need blood, or I can't appear in a church."

"I hate church! Here, take some of mine!" I thrust my wrist at him, and he backed away.

"No, Rosaline. It needs to be from a Spirit-blessed."

"You can't have Lissa's blood! I won't allow it!"

"What about Adrian's?" Well, _that_ caught me off-guard. Slowly, I shook my head. It was my turn to back away.

"You can't have his. He's my…. I won't let you. He's too important to me. You can't have his blood. I'd die if… if he gave it up, just to save me. I won't let you. Not even if everyone here thinks I'm crazy. You can't kill him."

"It's okay, Roza." I turned to Dimitri.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about! You can't even see who I'm talking to, so don't pretend you can hear him, either! Just shut up!"

"I'll do it. If you need my blood, I'll gladly-"

"No, you idiot!" I was crying now. Ugly tears of dumb frustration. "He doesn't want your blood, he wants Adrian's!" The 'courtroom' had only heard my half of the conversation, and I deemed it understandable that Dimitri had drawn the conclusion he did. But, the fact that Adrian had, as well, just irritated me. His face got this weird look on it. Half horror, and half joy. I guess he liked that he was actually important to me, but the thought of giving up his blood was still weird. Especially since it would probably be closer to giving up his life. But, everyone can be surprising at some point or another. Especially when drunk.

"I'll do it, Rose. He can take whatever he needs, if this'll help your case."

"Adrian, no! If he kills you-" Prince Ivashkov didn't let me finish.

"Adrian, I will not let you risk your life for some pathetic dhampir blood whore!"

But, Rilion was already at Adrian's side. My heart stopped as I watched, frozen with terror. Adrian made a face as he felt Rilion's hand on his shoulder. His face visibly paled as he felt the breath on his neck, and he gave a subtle 'ugh' of protest as the fangs pierced his veins.

_Adrian's aura darkened. He was in pain; that much I knew. But, he kept it to himself, for Rose's sake. The air next to him began to turn red, and this weird, dark mist came out of the holes in his neck, swirling into the shape of a human. It solidified. The man drew away from Adrian, stooping to lick the wound on his neck, which sizzled shut. It was the same sound Rose had made, when I brought her back to life. I wondered who the man was. Who he was to Rose. Why she had looked so relieved, when he had appeared before her._

I pulled myself out of Lissa's head as Rilion turned to face me again.

"There, you see? I left him alive for you. Even sobered him up a bit."

Everyone seemed to be afraid. I knew why. What I had seen from Lissa's perspective showed me how strange all of this was to everyone else. I didn't meet Dimitri's eyes. He would be mad, that I cared about Adrian. I kind of was, too. Was I even allowed to care about him? Rilion rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you're allowed to. And, quit calling me that. A simple 'Riley' will do." Huh. I had forgotten about his uncanny ability to read my mind. "Not just yours; all the beings in this room, even the ghosts, are subject to my interrogation, whether consensual or not. So, when I tell you Adrian would have died to save you when he was drunk, you can believe me. And, when I tell you he would still die to save you, even now that he's sober, I'd like you to believe me. He's a good man. Even if he were a Shri'tin Oi, I think he would love you."

"Strigoi."

"What?"

"You said Shri'tin Oi," I pointed out to him, "and we call them Strigoi. And, they don't love. I speak from experience." Bitch slap. Dimitri would cry himself to sleep over that one. I didn't really care, though, for some reason. I was mad at him for hurting me, but tried to forgive him. He hadn't really been himself. And, if someone who loved me as much as Dimitri did would hurt me that much as a Strigoi, why wouldn't Adrian do the same?

"Because he isn't Dimitri," was all Rilion –Riley- would say.

"Well, now that we've gotten _that_ out of the way," said Ms. Snot, in a way that made me want to hit her, "will you please tell me how any of this will help you plead innocent, Miss Hathaway?"

"Because I can guarantee it wasn't her who killed the king," said Riley.

"Tatiana was the queen, not the king," I corrected. Wow, you'd figure a mind-reader would be able to figure that one out. He scowled at me.

"Well, that shows how much you know. The Moroi are only allowed to hold the title of king; queen-dom is reserved specifically for My Lady. She's the one you referred to as the Mother. Moryn Oi and Shri'tin Oi are only allowed to be called kings. That's the way it's always been. You just say 'queen' because she was a woman, and the past several generations haven't been as strict to the old ways as they should have been. It was _King_ Tatiana. And, you didn't kill her. The Mother's ex-brother did."

**Well, Tiana, here's your second chapter. Please don't hate me! Also, if you aren't Tiana, please remember to Review! Hope this didn't tick anyone off too bad…**


	3. Chapter 3

I stared at him. He was absolutely insane. Ex-brother? How did that even happen?

"I mean, it's not like you can just divorce your siblings. How do you expect me to buy into that crap?"

"Well, it wasn't so much a divorce as it was a disowning. The Mother…." He trailed off, and his amazing green eyes clouded with sadness. "She had a complicated life."

"I have a question," oh, Adrian, don't you know when to be quiet? Don't you know he could kill you with his thoughts? "Why can't I see your aura?" Okay, so maybe that _was _a good question, but it could still get him killed.

"Auras are for things that live," Riley said, turning to him. I knew what he meant, but everyone else would be panicked. Riley hadn't been 'alive' since he and his brothers had become the Mother's Restless. But, to the other Moroi (Moryn Oi, as he had called them), it was the same as calling himself a Strigoi. They wouldn't trust anything he said, from that point on, and since he was my only way of pleading not-guilty, I was screwed.

"Your eyes aren't red, but you still walk around. So, you aren't a Strigoi, but how can you not be alive? Is it because you're made of Adrian's blood?" I swear, I had never loved my father more than I did in that moment.

"I am something called Restless. When an Izolde became of age, they would choose three people closest to them to live with them forever. In doing so, they essentially steal their souls. Izolde were the original vampires, but far more beautiful than the Moroi you see now, and at least thrice as powerful as the Strigoi. They were able to wield all four of the common elements at birth, and were trained in whatever of the others they excelled in. among the most powerful of these arts were healing, dream-walking, aura-seeing, and sight-giving. There were, at some point in time, Izolde who thought that humans should be tamed and kept as pets. Other Izolde thought that was a barbaric thought, and a war broke out. The Izolde who kept the humans as pets often just wanted to rape as many women as they pleased, and had harems the size of Montana. Needless to say, some cross-breeding took place, and Moroi were the result. You are weak, ugly, and as inconsequential to me as a stray cat. My Lady, however, rather likes your race. I don't quite see why, but she does.

"Any way, the reason I have no aura for you to see, Aura-Seer, is because I have no soul, and therefore am no longer 'alive' enough. I am Restless, but was born an Izolde soldier. Please, don't hate me for being above your kind." Riley flashed a dazzling smile, exposing all of his teeth. Not a single one of them was pointed, because Izolde were soul-eaters, not blood-suckers, which was why his bite hadn't given Adrian a high, but also why I had been so unwilling to let him at Adrian's neck.

"If you feel that way about the Moroi," I said, "then you must really hate the dhampirs."

"No. I hate that the Moroi think so little of the dhampirs, which is mainly why I hate the Moroi. The dhampirs have never hurt me, my brothers, or My Lady, so I have no reason to hate them. They just make finding Stigoi to play with a little harder, but that's alright."

I thought of him being a giant, reaching down and scooping up a bunch of Strigoi to play house with. It made me laugh. I saw some faces in the crowd smiling, too, and wondered why.

"You Showed them," Riley told me. "You thought of what it was, and weren't paying attention, so your thoughts slipped into their heads, as well. If you were to let me train you, it would get to the point where you could project a three-dimensional depiction of your ideas in front of you. W used to call it Sight-Giving. It was my favorite."

"I'm a dhampir, not an Izolde."

"You were blessed by an Izolde."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

He reached into his shirt and pulled out the chain I had always known was there. The entire church went silent as he lifted it over his head. He held it before him, and I walked forward, running a section of it through my hands. It was everything. I remembered my entire experience of being dead, from the very split second the crash killed me until the moment after Lissa had brought me back, when her jade eyes had made me so happy and so sad, all at once. I forgot where I was, not caring anymore. Even Tatiana's murder seemed irrelevant compared to the second life I had lived.

I heard every body in the room hold its breath as I drew deep memories from the well they were buried in. Sight-Giving was one of my specialties, too.

**Also, thank you so much for Reviewing the last chapter! It made me cry tears of sheer joy! My favorite was from Drostste7. Very intense. If you want any more of this, I'll require at least one Review at the end of every chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

The entire hallway was red. As I walked down it, my bare feet found the deep blue carpet beneath me, and my eyes began to notice the green flames that lit the way every ten feet or so. I walked along, following the corridor, until it ended with a big, black door. I went in.

It was a garden.

There were rose bushes everywhere. All of them had black roots, stems, and leaves, but different colors of flowers. One section had only red; the color of garnet. The next had only green; alexandrite. To its right was entirely blue; deep, pure sapphires. I turned around, to find the door again and instead found a giant, black, marble throne. Sitting in it was a woman.

She had hair so blonde it was almost white. She had skin so pale it almost shone. She wore a dress so pallid it was ashen. Her eyes were such a washed-out blue that they were almost silver. On her head was a small, thin crown of leaves, carved from the same stone the green roses grew into. She was beautiful. In a way that her description fails to capture, she was the most beautiful being I had ever laid eyes on.

"Rosaline Marie," she said, in such a faint voice, and such a demure way. "You aren't supposed to die yet, you know? Or, do you simply not care?"

"If living means leaving this place, then I do not wish to."

"Living means seeing Lissandria again."

"Lissa will be strong enough on her own."

"Will she?"

We were in a room now. It was solid black. There were golden flames on these walls. There were three identical men standing behind her. She was roughly my height, I noticed. She looked sad, when she smiled.

"These are my only company. Would you be able to live with only them, for the rest of your eternal being?"

"No," I said, thinking of Mason and Eddie. I missed them. Then, I thought of Lissa again, and realized how stupid I had been to turn down an offer of returning to her.

The men introduced themselves, regardless. The only difference between them was their eye color. James daVinci had brown eyes, like hazelnut chocolate. Raffaello Michelangelo had blue eyes, like Forget Me Nots. Rilion Greyson had green eyes, like emerald pools of Amazonian water. They were all Donatellos; triplets. They had been born into a soldier's family, and had been raised to fight and to protect. They had become her Restless when they were nineteen. They could not die unless she did, and they could not knowingly allow her to be hurt. It was physically impossible for them. I knew this simply when they said their names. Never once did they tell me. She dismissed them, and led me aside.

"All of my children are dead. They were either murdered, or died of natural cause, or…. They are dead. I have no heir or heiress, and cannot be at ease until I know I have one to take my place when finally I am gone. Rosaline, we do not have much more time together. Lissandria will be calling you back to her at any time. If I die before I can bear a child who lives, will you succeed me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," she said, the relief clear on her face. "But, you are not allowed to remember this time, when you are alive again. You will need to leave your memories with one of us four; this one will be the one you recall and Summon in your hour of darkest need; the time when you will die or be killed without our utmost assistance. Who do you wish?"

"Rilion, who is beloved by you and loved by me." It came naturally; I hadn't even needed to think of who it would be.

"Very well. But, before you do, you must remember this; find three who are dearest to you, child. One of these three will be the father of your children, and all will be as Restless to you as mine are to me."

"Three husbands?"

"No. only one will be the one you love and marry. The other two will protect you until you die. Rilion is he who I treasure most, and he is the one my child will be born of, should I have another. Now, Rosaline Marie, you must find these three, alright?"

"Yes, Mother."

She smiled, and I turned as Rilion appeared before me. I opened my mouth, and held my hands out to catch the breath that I blew into them. As it came, it solidified, and became a chain of purest silver. I held it in my hands, and he leaned forward so I could put it around his neck. It made a sharp, sizzling sound as it hit his neck. I hated myself for hurting him, but knew he didn't mind it, because it was his duty. He righted himself and smiled down at me.

"I have a feeling I know who you'll pick," he said. "I just hope you do, before it's too late."

Before I could ask him what he meant, before I could ask him who it was, before I could remember what I had forgotten, I was lying on my back, looking up at Lissa, and bawling my eyes out.

For some strange, odd reason, I didn't even remember why I felt so alone.

**Hope you liked it! And, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing- it makes me happier than all else! Sorry it's so short, and sorry it took so long, and sorry it's so weird… **


	5. Chapter 5

I cried again as the hazy peace of being dead left my bones again, and as I remembered the wretched loneliness I had felt, all those years ago. I looked up at Rilion, fighting the searing pain in the back of my head as my torn-away memories melded back into my skull. I knew everyone in the courtroom had seen what I had, and had felt all of my emotions, just as well.

"So, this is the part where I pick who's with me for forever?" I didn't like the way my voice sounded so weak and pathetic.

"And in doing so, you will officially become her heiress."

"What happens to the ones I pick?"

"They stay with you."

"Does anything happen to them? Like, do they get brainwashed or anything?"

"No," Riley gave a knowing smile and looked me straight in the eye as he said, "they keep all their memories and know exactly who they are and who you are, and can still change and develop as normally as anyone else. The only difference is that they won't age. That's all, so don't worry."

"And, they can't hurt me? Ever?"

"No."

"What if I want them to? No, that's not what I meant! Don't you raise your eyebrows at me, young man! I meant; what if a part of who they are and what they do hurts me, but I don't want them to stop, because it wouldn't be them if they didn't?"

"Then it would depend on whether it hurts you more, or whether you like it more. They won't do anything you hate, unless they gage it would eventually help you."

"Do you know who I want? All three of them?"

"Yes. And, yes; we can raise the dead for this. It just requires a sacrificial humanoid's life in place."

"Well, I'm not sacrificing anyone, so I suppose Mason's gone… what about…. No, that would be stupid…"

"Rosaline, just pick someone. We both know it's a tie for who you'll marry,. So just pick some random third party and call it good. Who do you think deserves to be immortal? Or, more importantly, who do you think would benefit you most to be immortal? As long as they're male, it should be fine."

I glanced at Abe. "I know who would benefit me most, but I'm not making my dad my Restless." Riley raised his eyebrows, and I suddenly understood what he had meant. "Ambrose!" I shrieked, all high-pitched and girly and stupid. So, he would be a good ally. Duh. "And Adrian, and Dimitri! There, those are my three! Now what?"

"Now, you accept your color, and give them each their own. Of course, you can wait however long to give them theirs."

"Color? Huh? What?"

"It symbolizes something about you. Your predecessor chooses yours, and you chose those of your Restless and Successor. For example; my color is alexandrite, which is a deep, irresistible green. The color of jealousy, because I was the top of my class, the most respected of my family, and the 'belle of the ball' when My Lady still attended such events. All my life, envy has been present, and so she labeled me as such. Make sense?"

"I suppose so. What's my color?"

"Gold."

"Why?"

"Well, not only does it look remarkably good with your complexion, but it's a symbol of wealth and prosperity. You could take it as a promise of the power in your future, but I think she meant it as a way to say that you are her wealth and fame. You are what she has lived so long to produce. You are the reason she was here to begin with. So, do you accept your color?"

"I suppose. Yes, yes I do."

"Very good. Well, is there anything else you needed?"

"No, not really. Oh, wait! How'd the Mother's ex-brother kill Tatiana?"

There was a twinkle in his eye as he said, "That's for us to know and you fools to find out. Have fun investigating. And, remember, if there's ever anything else you need, you can call on any of the four of us, and we'll help in any way we can. But, if you call us for something as petty as killing Strigoi, you'd better be ready to face an Izolde's full boredom. All of my love, and all of my hatred, go into making your future as bright as possible. Be safe, Child of Cayne."

And he vanished. There was no fancy smoke, no fading into oblivion, no hocus pocus or anything like that. Not even a blink, he was just gone. I stood still for a moment, staring at the stop where he had just been, and hoping it wasn't all a dream. My face was stiff with dried tears as I slowly took in my surroundings.

Abe wore an expression, unreadable, that I'd never seen before. Lissa was petrified. Ambrose was confused, poor guy. Dimitri was cold. Adrian was stupefied. The jury of only eleven was a mixture of fear, excitement, and horror. Prince Ivashkov looked both lightly amused and slightly mortified. Everyone else seemed to be gone, and could have been, for all I cared. I looked at Ms. Snot, and was almost relieved at her pensive expression.

"Please tell me that wasn't all in my head," I whispered to her. It _would _be something I would have dreamt up. Izolde? Really? Restless? Sight-Giving? How mental could I be? Maybe battling Strigoi at such a young age really had traumatized me. Maybe I had been crazy right from the start.

"No," Abe said slowly, "I saw him, too."

"I felt him. That's for sure. He gave me the creeps. If that's really what bites feel like, then I really don't see how people can get so hooked. Personally, I'd take a Miami Vice and a good Cuban over that thing any day." Typical Adrian. I swear, if he weren't such an idiotic asshole so often, I'd really be in love with him right now.

"Rose," I looked at Lissa. She was _sad_ of all things! "I'm so, so sorry. I should have never brought you back," her lip was actually quivering! "You were so happy there. That was so selfish of me."

"No, Liss! Don't be stupid! I'd take you over them any day!" I tried to find the words to say it, to tell her how I felt, but I couldn't think of anything that came close to the desperation I felt whenever I wasn't absolutely sure she was okay. A faint smile formed on her lips. I suppose Sight-Giving covered feelings, too.

"Miss Hathaway," I turned to Ms. Snot again. "What name would you like to go by?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you Rosemarie Hathaway or are you Rosaline Whateverelse?"

"Rose. Just Rose. That's all I am."

"Very well. You may go now. The trial for today is dismissed, in regard of recent… events. We will continue this at a later date. As of now, however, everyone save for the judges must exit the courtroom. Understood?"

I suppose it was, because everyone got up and left. Quickly, too. When I got outside, I saw my little group waiting for me. I had some explaining to do.

"Alright, so, I know that was a little weird, but I can tell you anything you want to know, so-"

"Rose," oh, Adrian, "I don't care about most of what just happened. All I know is that you were worried about _my_ safety, and then you picked _me_ to be one of the people who stay by your side. Rose, I would have stayed with you, no matter what. I mean, I'm glad you picked me, but didn't you know that already?"

I'm not sure what made me think of it. Maybe it was the desperation in his eyes. Maybe it was the sadness in his eyes. Maybe it was the way he seemed so fragile, like he could break at any moment.

"Grey. Like the shadows on the moon, because you're always there, even when I can't see you, and you can make me feel any array of emotions, just by thinking about you. That's your color, Adrian. That's the color I give you."

I couldn't meet Dimitri's eyes as I walked away, but I knew they were fixed on me.

**The moon picture doesn't show up on here, sorry... Thanks for the reviews! Please, keep reviewing!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haven't been on for a while, sorry. But, someone favorited me the other day, and I decided to accept that as a Review.**

I sat on the little dinky cot in my little dinky room and listened to the clamor of the not-so-little-or-dinky cell door closing. I waited, but none of the guardians around me said anything, and none of the spirits pressed too hard to see me. I let my mental shield drop, just a bit, and the naked burning man appeared again. His sadistic smile troubled me, but at least it was something other than these pathetic white walls to look at.

"You're going to burn," he hissed. His voice was nothing more than a low whisper, even though he had to know I was the only one who could hear him. "I told you, that they would find out what you are. You're going to get what's coming."

"Why does telling a church-full of people matter?"

"It isn't just _those_ ones that you've told; you've also told their friends, their family, anyone that they care to gossip with," he paused to expose his full set of teeth. Each one had been filed to a point. His beard stubble added, and he looked like a mad axe-murderer. "Eventually," he continued, his voice rising with each new word, "it'll circle around to _them,_ and then to _him,_ and then, the Master will _show you justice!_" His voice had reached the point that it was bouncing off the walls of my small cell, and echoing down the hall. I knew they wouldn't, but a small part of me braced for a stampede of guardians to flood down here, and I knew I wouldn't be able to explain this in a million years. Which, Riley had made it seem, I might actually have to bargain with. If the Moroi didn't kill me first.

"Why not tell him yourself?" I asked, after a moment of silence. It was worth it, just to see that gloating face cower so desperately. He began mumbling something about being unfair, not being able to tell secrets, and not being promoted. "Hey!" I called, bringing him back to the present. "Why not tell him yourself?"

"Because," he snarled, "I am not worthy to lick to dust off his shoe, let alone speak to him! Could you be so stupid, you filthy little wench?" Then, he left. Dead people tend to do that.

"Miss Rose," a deep voice boomed, "are you alone in there?"

I turned to the door, and saw three guardians peering in at me. I rolled my eyes and proceeded to glare at them. "Actually, I am right now. He just left."

"The Rilion fellow?"

"No." It was hard to keep the anger out of my voice. "Riley wouldn't just run away. Besides, you would've been able to see him, now that he's had Adrian's blood. This guy was just a spirit. He was blabbing about some other guy coming to kill me, and about he was so unworthy to even talk to that guy, and how I'd be burning and getting justice and whatnot, now that the Moroi know I'm… what did Riley call it? 'Izolde-blessed'? I dunno. He was someone else, okay?"

"How often do you talk to these spirits, Miss Rose?"

Apparently, they'd taken my 'just call me Rose' to heart. "I dunno. Whenever I let my guard down, they appear. Once, they helped me kill a Strigoi. It was pretty badass, if you ask me. But, I usually keep them away."

"Why?" I stared at him, exaggerating the confusion on my face, so that he'd get my point. "Why not talk to them more, if they help you kill Strigoi?"

"Because, the more I talk to them, the worse it gets." Now it was their turn to play up the dumbstruck. "I've been dead. Lissa's Spirit-blessed, which means she can heal things. So, in essence, she 'healed' me back from the dead. The spirits get mad at things that should be dead, but aren't. It's why they get so mad at the Strigoi. But, since I should be dead too, and since I'm not, they get mad at me, too. They don't pull me back into the 'Underworld' or gouge my eyes out or pull my skin off, but they do bother me, a lot. The more contact I have with them, the worse they get, and the harder it is to not go mad.

"You've heard of Sonya Karp, right? She was a Spirit-blessed, but didn't have a Shadow-kissed to help. She went crazy, because of that. She turned Strigoi to get away from them." So, maybe I wasn't totally sure that she'd seen spirits, but they were buying it, and it seemed like a good enough reason for me to continue. Maybe I'd at least have the guardians on my side. "I haven't seen Tatiana's ghost, but I saw Mason's – he was a friend from childhood, who was kidnapped by the same Stirgoi that kidnapped Eddie, Chris, Mia, and me. I'm sure you heard about that. He died right in front of me, trying to save me, because I couldn't kill a Strigoi on my own. His ghost followed me around for a month, maybe more. That's only because I was there when he died. If I did kill Tatiana, she would have had her revenge by now, if only by following me around.

"I'm an expert at filtering these things out, but sometimes they break through. You can't stop a restless spirit from showing itself, no matter how hard you try. I wouldn't be able to keep my cool if Tatiana were here." I stopped, because I couldn't think of anything else to say. I thought I'd given a pretty convincing speech, but I wasn't sure how they would take it. Sometimes, when it was quiet enough, I figured I'd just been dreaming about the whole thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they all just assumed I was crazy. I probably would, too, if I were hearing this.

"Miss Rose," the guardian said slowly, and I wondered if the other two were incapable of speech, "however much we might like to believe you, you have no proof that any of this is real."

"I know. I'm not sure how I could prove it, though."

"Would you mind summoning someone, and asking them some questions?"

"I'm not sure it works like that, though…" I trailed off, as I saw the desperation in his eyes. "I could try, but I'm not sure if it'll work."

"Her name was Marya Gregorovich."


	7. Chapter 7

I sighed, and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the name. I opened them, and glanced around my cell, but there wasn't anyone there. I closed my eyes again, and said the name. opened them, and there was still no-one. I got an idea, and closed my eyes again.

"I am Rosaline Hathaway Marie Mazur, and I am the Child of Cayne, and I am asking that Marya Gregorovich would be kind enough to grace me with her presence." I heard a rustle, and felt a breeze, and opened my eyes and screamed.

The woman standing before me had half of her face missing. More or less, the entire right (her right) side of her body was gone. The rest of her seemed pretty enough; long brown hair, pale green eyes, smooth skin, and a nice blue nightgown, but nothing about her could distract from the half of her that was gone.

"What? What happened? Is she there?" pleaded the guardian who had asked me about her, searching frantically through my cell, interrogating every square inch with his eyes. I wondered if he was so desperate that he didn't notice I was only staring at once place, or if he was so desperate that he didn't care I was only staring in one place.

"Um, I don't mean to be insensitive, but did Marya get caught in a saw mill or something?"

"No, why? Is a hand missing? Is she okay? How bad is she hurt?"

"Pretty bad. But, she doesn't seem tortured like the other ones. She's just…standing there." I wondered if the laws of gravity applied to spirits. From my experience, they were able to do whatever they wanted without thinking twice, but maybe she wasn't moving because she'd fall over if she did. "Who was she to you?"

"Can't you ask her yourself? Isn't she looking at me, or saying anything to me?"

"No, sorry." I looked her over again. "What happened?" I murmered, under my breath. To my surprise, she answered.

"It wasn't a saw mill. It was an axe." Her voice was deep, gravelly, and lured me in.

"An axe? Someone had the capacity to do this… with an _axe?"_

"It was my brother," she whispered, and a lone tear hit the floor. I hadn't known spirits could cry. It was kind of depressing knowledge.

"Why? What did you do, to make him so angry?"

"I was born. You see, our family was rich enough to be rich, but too poor to have enough inheritance for the both of us, and our children. And, I was a disgrace. I had become pregnant, from my guardian."

Ouch. That had to suck. I wondered if the guardian asking about her was the father. "Did you give birth?"

He made a startled noise in the back of his throat, so I assumed he hadn't known. She made no acknowledgement of having heard him, though, and answered anyways. "No. only my innermost family knew, not even my Mikey. I wasn't very far along. My brother started by just cutting the baby out, but there was so much blood, I would have died regardless, so he finished the job. I never even got to say goodbye to my Mikey, or to tell him the good news. My baby will forever be unborn. It hurts, Miss Rosaline, it hurts so much!"

"Hush, Marya, hush!" I cried, trying to reach out to her. "I know Mikey would have been the proud father of your child, if he had been given the chance. I know he loved you very, very much. Hush! He would hate to see you cry!"

"I know, I know!" she gasped, "I only wish for you to tell him – tell him that I love him! Tell him that I was never angry with him, and that I do not blame him! Please!"

I turned to the guardian. "You're Mikey, right?" He nodded. I relayed the message, and turned back to her. "He says thank you, and that he still loves you, too."

"Thank you, thank you, Miss Rosaline! Thank you, I may be in peace now!" and she faded away. It was the same sort of fading that Mason had done, when he left. I had never put a ghost to peace before. It felt nice.

"Mikey, she's gone. She's in peace, she says."

"Thank you, Guardian Hathaway. I am eternally in your debt."

"You're welcome. And, you don't owe me anything. Aren't you going to ask who did it?"

"No. if I know, I'll kill them, regardless of who they are." He was on the verge of tears. I felt bad for the guy. He lost his woman and their unborn child without ever knowing what became of her or who had done it. If anyone ever hurt Dimitri like that, I would find out who. I would make them wish they were dead. I had a feeling he felt the same way. Once a guardian, always a guardian, and always sympathetic to the pain of other guardians.

"Anyways," I said, to break the everlasting silence, "you guys should leave, before you get caught socializing with the most-wanted criminal of the century."

"You're right. Goodbye." And then they all turned and left, in unison. It was a guardian thing. I felt a little better, because Mikey had gotten his emotions under control, but I still felt bad for the guy.

I sat back down on my cot, and reviewed the events of the day. It seemed impossible that this morning was only a few hours behind me. I decided that, since there were no windows here, I might as well assume it was later than I knew it was, and turn in for the night. As I closed my eyes, I imagined Dimitri and the others staging a break-in/bust-out for me. It was a good dream, but completely unrealistic. A part of me still hoped I would wake up on the road, in some distant state, on the run with my former mentor, instead of giving Adrian Ivashkov colors and stealing Ambrose's soul.

I almost died when I woke up in a strange place, looking out a window into a field of wildflowers and on the side of an old dirt road.


	8. Chapter 8

I calmed down quickly, though. Adrian was there. It was just another Spirit-dream of his.

"Hey," I said quietly, not sure what else there was _to_ say.

"Hey. So, I'm the moon now?"  
>"No, just the color of it."<p>

"Have you picked colors for the other two?"

"No, not yet. I suppose I should, huh?"

"Nah, take your time," he replied, brightening up. He must have sensed my finding it odd, because he continued by explaining, "You picked Belikov to stay with you, too. So, I was a little worried. I know," he cut me off strongly, "I know you say the two of you are done, but I suppose I'm still a little paranoid about it. I just feel a little better, being the only one you've given a color to. Especially since you haven't even thought of the others yet. Make sense?" He gave me a worried little half-smile, and I had to laugh.

"Yes, that makes sense. I guess I'd be jealous too, in your position. So, what's going on in the outside world?"

"Not too much. Where are we, anyway? I let you pick the place this time, and I've never been here before."

"I don't think I have, either. I don't remember this house or this… prairie? At all. But, I was thinking of a dirt road when I went to bed…. Maybe this is my ideal spot." I glanced around the one-room cabin, taking in the thick layer of dirt that covered the floor, the rickety chairs that looked like they should've been covered in duct tape, and the window that was perpetually open because it had no glass in it. No, this was not ideal for me. This would have been torture. Adrian seemed to know as much – whether from my expression or my aura, or just knowing me well enough, he saw exactly the same room I did, and knew it wasn't 'me'.

We sat there in silence for a moment, which was rare for these dreams.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, at last. I didn't like the look he gave me. He was worried, and possibly hiding something. I didn't know what.

"Don't worry about it, you'll find out soon enough. I just wanted to make sure you were all right, and just generally check in on you, little dhampir. And, sorry about my dad calling you a blood whore."

"It's all right. I kind of earned it, after showing off the bite you gave me."

"I'm really sorry about that, too. I should've known better. I guess I'd just never done it before, and it was you, and you were offering…. I'm sorry. I should have said no. I'm sorry."

He almost reminded me of a child, from his sheepish blushing to his frantic apologizing. I just shook my head and told him not to worry about it. It was my fault, anyway. So, we said goodnight, and I drifted into a regular sleep on that awkward note. I woke up to Liss dress shopping.

She needed a new one for Tatiana's funeral. Adrian was with her. She pissed the lady off, because she didn't want to wear sleeves. Time passed. I stayed in my cell, oblivious to how the clock worked around me. The funeral came. All Hell broke loose. They even exploded some of the statues of ancient kings and queens, and used C4 to do it. Then they broke into the prison, and busted me out. Ushered me to a car. We drove. Were followed. Switched cars, lost our pursuers. Met up with Sydney. Went to West Virginia, of all places! Stayed in some dinky Motel. I tried running away, but Dimitri caught me. We had to leave town. Wound up with some crazy boonie Hicksville people that revered me as a god and one of them tried to marry me. He was a dhampir, too, but said something about us having kids. His sister had to fight me, to see if I was worthy or not. I was tired and pissed, so I fought back, even though I didn't really want to hurt her. That's when the weird stuff happened.

I moved the earth beneath her. I hadn't meant to, honest! It just sort of happened. Instead of lunging and taking an opening when I noticed her stance was a little off, I clenched my fist around empty air and pulled to the right. But, it must have been the exact bit of open air that I needed, because when I pulled, the earth moved with it. She landed on her knees. As though that weren't enough, I took my now-opened, face up, flat palm from hip to my face, turned it over, and sent it back down. A splash of water landed on her head. I don't know where the water came from (the air?) but, it came down heavy. She was soaked. I flicked my wrist back, holding my hand slightly open and clawed, as though I were keeping a fistful of rocks in it, and a fire erupted. Only as I felt the heat of my own flame licking away at my fingertips did I register what I had done. Only then did I stop, and notice the fear in her eyes, and written all over the faces of everyone else there, even Dimitri. They still let us stay there, but I was as afraid of myself as the others were. So, when the Spirit dream that night brought me the Dashkov brothers instead of Adrian, or even some well-needed regular sleep, I was pissed. Ended up being thrown against more than one imaginary wall, and inadvertently said something about there being another Dragomir. An interesting tidbit I'd learned from the note Ambrose had slipped me, and something I hadn't planned on sharing with anyone else. While Victor was moderately surprised, he hadn't seemed blown away, which pissed me off even more. Maybe it was the weird happenings around me. Maybe it was Lissa's overuse of Spirit. Maybe I was just finally going over the edge. I'd be a horrible successor to Cayne.

As they left, they said something about wanting to stay informed. Whatever. Then, Adrian pulled me into a dream. Just checking in. when it was finally over, when I could finally sleep, it was my turn to take watch. Dimitri needed sleep too, I knew. We left soon after. I was happy to be gone, away from that place and those people. Away from the girl who still looked at me like a circus freak, and still had a cut on her cheek where the water had hit her too hard. I hadn't even known water could do that.


End file.
